Locking steering-wheel



E. H. VINCENT.

LOCKING' STEERING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAYsI. I9I9.

1 ,335,865. l Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

MII I f iiIIII ,a

8E gi/wanton EnWAnn n. vINcENT, oF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

LOCKING STEERING-WHEEL.

Originalapplication lfiled November V25, 1918, Serial No. 263,979.Divided Y 1919. Serial No. 300,972.V

To all 101mm it may concern Be it known that I, EDwAD H. VINCENT, -acitizen' of the United States, and residing at Detroit, in the county ofWayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved LockingSteering- Wheel,

which the following is a specification.

The present invention has reference, to a steerlng wheel' for motorvehicles, more par.-

ticularly to a construction whereby the rim or wheel structure propermay be locked free from the steering head or shaft at will I is asection on-line 24-2of 'Fig'. 1. 3

, .been available heretofore.

" also provides a construction wherein theA so as to render itimpossible for unauthorized parties to steer the vehicle. One of theobjects of the invention is to provide a construction wherein butl fewparts are used and wherein these parts are of such nature as to bereadily manufactured. Another object is to provide a more strong,-durable and compact device than has The i invention parts are maintainedtight regardless of wear in the lock surface. u

Another feature of the-invention resides inthe use .of the lock barrelas the element for transmitting turning force from the to the steeringshaft or rod. In thisvmanner an..unusually vstrong and at the same timeinexpensive construction is secured.

.Again, the invention rovides a construction wherein the bushing throughwhich torque is transmitted` from the wheel proper to .the steeringshaft or rod is secured to the upper end of said shaft by means which isinaccessible when the.wheel is in lace. Possession of the key is therebyma e essential for the removal of the wheel.

The invention also provides a construction wherein the lock barrel ispositively retained in one of two positions, namely, 1st,

that in which the wheel is in steeringrela'- tion to the steering shaft,and, 2nd, that which it is free to turn about the shaft.

Any danger that it might be. accidentally left in neutral positioninstead of the free position desired for locking purposes is thusavoided.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View, parts being broken away,showing vention applied to a tiltable wheel, the latter being detachedfrom the column. Fig. 2

is a similar section showing a modification. The usual steering columnappears at '1,

ofv

-. trol elements 7 and 8. The` bushing has'an the in- Specicatiidn ofLetters Patent.' I A Patnted Apr'. 6, 1920,

and this application ined may a1,

' and inclos'ed therein is the steering shaft or rod 2 upon the conicalupper -end of which a bushing 4 is adapted to be sejcllred by the nut 5and key 6. The steeringi'rod, when made lioll'wlas shown, admits thepassage of the usual spark and throttle con- -annularflange 12 at itsuppen'end and is threaded at its lower end to `receive a nut 13 wherebya head 14 is secured thereon.

Injthe embodiment of the invention shown, the head comprises two pairsof arms 2,0%21, a rim and chord structure 27-28 and .y two pairsV ofconnecting latches 25 lwhelfby` a desirable clearance between the bodyof the'driver and the rim-may be secured upon tilting the latter as morefully set' forth inthe parent ap lication of which this is a divisionSer. o. 263,979, dated Nov. 25, 1918, Obviously, the locking functionshereinafter explained apply equally well to steering wheels wherein noprovision is made for shifting ofthe rim for clearance purposes.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2, the

' rotatable head 14 has a cylindrical socket 62 in which a lock cas' orbarrel 63 is slidable. The barrel contams any preferred lock mechanism(not shown) whereby the `transversely rejecting pin 64 may be projectedor wit drawn into the barrel at will.

Y spiral spring 65, positioned between the removable screw 66 and thebottom of the barrel, tends toforce the latter upwardly so that thetapered conical upper contact portion 67 with which it is preferablypro'- vided normally bears in one-of the segmentalconical seats 68formed in theyiange 12.

By continuing the barrel upwardly as a cy lindrical neck 69 into whichthe key 70 may be Ainserted,'and by machining away a portion of the sideof said neck as shown at 72,

Fig. 1, it is evident that the barrel is pre- O vented from turnin aboutits own axis when'the pin v64 is withdrawn. This pin is adapted to bereceived in either of two sockets 74-7 5, when in the position.shownythe wheel is locked firmly to the head, the spring 65 maintaininthe portion 67 in close engagement wit the corresponding seat 68; whenthe barrel is in its innermost position, that is, when the pin 64 `isre# ceived in, the opening 75, the'upper ,face of the tapered portionF'of the barrel is below the lower face -of the ange 12 andthe not -insaid barrel. A pin 7 8 wheel is free to spin on the head. By thusutilizing the lock barrel itself as a locking member, a much greaterarea of metal is` opposed to shearing than would'be the case were thebarrel stationary and provided with a projectable plunger or detent.

In the modification, Fig. 3, the seats 68 are cylindrical andextend intothe head 14 radially about the aXis of the shaft 2, and the neck 67',which corresponds to the neck 67, is cylindrical. The key 70', pin 64,sockets 74 and 75', and the spring 65 correspond, respectively, to theparts 70, 64, 74, 75 and 65 heretofore described. The barrel A63 of thelock is in this instance prevented from angular movement, when the pin64 is Withdrawn, by thethreaded pin -80 which projects into the slot 81formed which is received in one of the seats or sockets 68 secures thebushing to the steering rod.

It will be observed that the pin 67 when withdrawn, rides in acircumferential groove 82 in the bushing 4', and projects somewhat intosaid groove; therefore it is possible for a thief to dis-assemble the.head 14 from the bushing by unscrewing the nut 13. This, 78 is notaccessible except after the head 14 is removed, renders the devicesubstantially thief proof.

In both embodiments the pins 64-64 are prevented from being accidentallylodged in neutral position with reference to. the sockets 74-75, 74-75by the action of the springs -65.

When the wheel is unlocked from the head, the former may be turnedangularly about the column to such a-position as gives maximum clearancewhen it is thereafter tilted; consequently it is not necessary to setthe vehicle Wheels in any particular position .with reference to thebody in order to allow the driver to readily enter or leai'e the seat.

It is evident that the details of construction are subject toconsiderable variation, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limitedexcept as indicated by the subjoined claims.

I claim 1. In combination, a steering shaft, a bushing,l securedthereto, a head rotatable on the bushing, the bushing having a flangeoverlying the head and formed to receive a lock barrel, and a-lockbarrel carried by the head and slidable bodily toward and from Atheflange to lock or unlock fthe head to or from the bushing at will. V

2. In combination, a steering shaft, a bushing secured thereon andhaving a conical socket, a wheel head mounted to rotate on the bushing,a lock barrel carried by the wheel head and having a tapered endadaptadapted to receive a and the fact that the pm' ed to be received insaid socket, and a spring housed in the head and tending to force thelock barrel toward the socket.

3. In combination, a steering shaft, a bushing secured thereon andhaving a socket lock barrel,` a head mounted to rotate on the bushing, alock barrel slidable in the head and having a pin projectable therefrom,the bushing .having a pair of `depressions in either of- Which said pinmay be received, the barrel being held in' locking" relation to thebushing when the pin is in one depression and being held out of suchlocking relation when the pin is in the other depression.

4. In mechanism of the class described, a`

pair of members adapted to have relative angular movement one of themembers havinga cylindrical outer surface, a lock member slidablelongitudinally of said members to lock them against such relativeangular movement, said lock member being received in a cylindricalsocket in one of the members and being so constructed and arranged as tobear on said cylindrical outer surface, whereby angular movement of thelock member inthe socket is prevented.

In combination, a steering shaft, abushing secured wheel head rotatableon the bushing, a lock barrel carried by the Wheel head and havin aprojection adapted 'to be received in said socket, and a spring tendingtd press the lock barrel toward the socket.

6. In combination, a steering shaft, a flanged bushing secured thereto,a head rotatable on the bushing, the flange overlying the head andhaving a seat formed to receive a lock barrel and a lock barrelcarriedby the head and movable into land from the seat to lock or unlockthe head to or from the bushing at will.

7. In combination, a steering shaft and a bushing at the upper endthereof provided with a socket, a Wheel head rotatable on the bushing.and a lock barrel slidably mounted on the wheel head and having aportion adapted to be received in said socket, the:

EDWARD H. VINCENT.

thereon and having a socket, a

